Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1887-06-25
THE CARE OF TREES.
BUSHELS OF CATERPILLAR EGGS
: COLLECTED IN CITY SQUARES. q,

COLLECTED IN CITY SQUARES. .,
Chat with an ArboricuI.urist-Wo for
Village Improvement Societics-Tarred
Collars on Elm Trees Useless-Matter
for Eeslection.
The other day the writer asked Professor
Southwick, who takes care Of the trees in the
city parks, whether he thought that the OBJ
servance of Arbor day was really of much
USE He said be thought it was of great
deal Of use. The people Of the present gen.
Grafton, as rule, know nothing about trees
and care comparatively little for them, but
by educating the children the next genera
ton viii know more and care more.
The formation of village improvement so
cieties has done great deal for popular edu-
cation about trees"
ayes" said the writer; "the one in our
village has put tar collars on all the elm
trees
"Thcy might just as well put up printed
notice forbiddng insects to fly upon the
trees These collars would be good enough
protection against the army worm or the
canker worm; but the insect that Injuries the
elms is beetle. They wanted to put the
collars on the elms in the park once. There
was some money in it and it was highly re-
commended. came across two men at work
up here One had a draw knife and was
scraping off the outer bark, making a girdle
around the tree, in fact; while the other was
getting ready some rags, dipped in Oil and
tar, to nail around the bare places. l asked
them what they were doing. Putting on
protectors Protectors against wbatP In
sects.' What kindT AN kinds what
about those that fly? That stumped him for
q second, but then he was ready. Sure, is
only the males that fly, and they can't lay
eggs There those elms stand yet, with
those ugly Disbursements on them, shame
and a disgrace to the park. The only use
ever knew for those collars is that they make
handy places for caterpillars' nests. They
are ugly while they are on, and if they are
taken off the tree is girdled for life"
KEEPING OFF THE BEETLES.
sHow do you keep the beetles OFF,
GThe eggs hatch out from the 1st to the 9th
of June Just before that time | go over the
trees and syringe all the places that have
eggs on them with poison. Then when the
eggs hatch, the little grub begins to eat the
use London purple for poison, three quarters
of an ounce, mixed with a teaspoonful Of
-four in pail of water. 1t is easy enough, if
you take it in time. The trouble is that
people won't believe it-they think it is too
simple, and don't take the thing in time"
"You treat other trees differently"
Certainly. We are just now done clean
ing the trees in Union and Madison squares
We got twenty-seven quarts of caterpillars'
eggs off Union square this spring. and
bushel and half Of them from the two
squares Don't you remember how the cat
erpillarS used to be crawling around every
where few years ago! They were dropping
from the trees upon your back, wandering
over the seats in the parks, and covering all
the walks. Now they are all gone. You
can't find healthier lot of trees in the world
500 miles out in the woods, anywhere-than
there are III our parks.
care there entomologists employed in any
other Of the great parks in this country?'
"No; they have none in Boston, in Fair
mount park, or Druid Hill park"
"In what condition are their trees!"
1Spoiled-ruined; full Of insects, leaves
dropping OF. In few years, unless some
thing is done, their beauty will be gone"
MATTER FOR REFLECTION
care you not troubled in the park with in.
sects from tho trees west of it,"
every much. The Boulevard is a regular
breeding ground for them, but we manage by
constant watching to keep our trees pretty
clean"
"Will not the time come when the city, and
indeed all our cities and villages, must have
somebody TO take care of their trees if they
are to have any lefo:'
eyes"
"There must sometime, then. be village
entomologist and arborculturist elected just
as much as a matter of course as the village
constable.'
"Yes"
Truly, here is matter for reflection Here
is only one city in the United States that en-
ploys man who knows all about trees to
take care of things growing in its parks. In
all the rest the insects are eating them up at
will. In villages well iutentioned societies
are vainly spending money for tar collars to
keep off flying BEETLES and thereby girdling
and rCining all their elms. Aside from such
well meant but Ineffective attempts, nothing
is doing to save the trees from ravage. Ger
tainly, it is high time that our people were
educated a little III forestry and its allied
scierces. Why should not New York have
shady streets for promeuades as well as Paris
and Washington! Why should there not be
q bureau Of trees, whose duty it should be to
plant new trees and to take care of the old
ones-train, clean, thin, water fertilze and
whatever else is necessary for their welfarel
Why should not every village have some.
thing Of the same kind' Why should not
,l.o,c - Ill
the eirervescence, as it Were, of regular
course of study about plants and the bugs
shat eat them2-New York Mail and Express